Reardon aide accused of storing porn on county-issued computer

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EVERETT, Wash. -- An aide to embattled Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon was investigated for allegedly having homemade pornography on his county-issued laptop computer.

Kevin Hulten has been on leave from the executive's office for two months, but an investigation shows it's what he allegedly left behind that may land him in hot water.

Investigators say they found explicit photos of Hulten and others engaging in "pornographic situations" on his computer.

Hulten is refusing to comment on the allegations, and officials from the executive's office are also keeping mum on the subject, citing the fact that it's still under investigation.

Hulten's supervisor, Gary Haakenson, discovered the pornographic photos in March, according to investigation records released Friday.

"This has been ongoing with this gentleman for some time," Haakenson said.

Asked what Snohomish County residents might think of the investigation, Haakenson said, "I'll let the court of public opinion have its say."

Reardon has faced accusations of misspent money and extramarital affairs, and Hulten believed his involvement as Reardon's employee made him a target for his own investigation, according to records from the investigation.

Documents show that at one point, Hulten's boss confronted him over text message, writing, "Bottom line ... you violated county guidelines with the images on your laptop." In response, Hulten said "I never put anything of the sort on county property."

The independent investigation found Hulten's claims about retaliation were unfounded. He remains on administrative leave. Records released on Friday show Hulten's boss tried to fire him over the pornography, but that Hulten wanted some sort of monetary settlement.